


The Sunshine of Your Love

by paulacrackhead



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Earth, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Bumbleby - Freeform, F/F, Whiterose, adam SUCKS as per usual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-13
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:55:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28055745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paulacrackhead/pseuds/paulacrackhead
Summary: Blake Belladonna has a PhD in English Literature, a chronically hungry cat, and no job. Yang Xiao Long is a high school physics teacher who's perfectly happy living at home, riding her motorbike around at night, and spending her days telling 16 year olds about energy transfers... until she isn't. When the two meet on Blake's first day working at the under-funded, over-subscribed Signal High School, they have no idea just how much their lives are about to change.(mainly bumbleby, also whiterose, ft team jnpr, various other characters)
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 16
Kudos: 88





	1. Job Hunting

Blake Belladonna awakes to a bright beam of sunlight searing into her closed eyes. _Damn that fucking window,_ is the first thought entering her head as her eyes open to the light filled bedroom. She stares at the ceiling for what seems like forever, her eyes fixed on a tiny scratch in the paint that is in this moment infinitely more interesting to her than getting out of bed and facing the day could ever be. A scratching feeling on her legs reminds her that she still hasn’t put new sheets on her bed, even 3 weeks after taking them off to wash, and a pounding in her head reminds her that she probably drank a little too much last night. _No change there, then._ It’s ironic, really. Five years of college and a fucking PhD, only to spend her days applying to jobs she doesn’t want and drinking terrible cocktails of whatever liquors are left in her cupboards. By herself. Yep, that’s Blake’s reality. Time to get up and face that reality again. Finally, what gets Blake out of bed is a familiar clawing at the door – Grimm, after her breakfast. Blake sighs. _Coming…_ Barely managing to climb out of bed, she stumbles a little as she almost trips over the copy of _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_ that lies open next to her bed. _Fuck!_ The clawing sound continues, accompanied by a soft mewing this time. Blake swings her bedroom door open to the sight of a small black cat, barely older than a kitten, sitting in the hallway, her head cocked.

“G’morning, Grimm.” Blake manages a smile as the cat starts to wind her way around her mistress’ bare legs. She ignores this, and pulls her long, black hair into something resembling a low ponytail as she walks barefoot to the kitchen. Still accompanied by the cat, she reaches into a cupboard and pulls out a bowl before retrieving a packet of some supermarket brand cat food from the fridge. “Here ya go..” She bites her lip in concentration as she pours just the right amount of food into the bowl and sets it down before the cat, now waiting patiently on the tiled floor. Blake gently strokes Grimm’s soft head as she eats, slowly crouching next to her. After a minute or so of this, she stands, stretching and yawning. A glance to the large clock on the kitchen wall tells her its 9.30am. Not bad considering I have literally nothing I need to be up for, and could basically sleep in all day.

Resisting the urge to just get back in bed and sleep until Grimm's next mealtime, Blake shakes her head resolutely and sighs, starting to go through the ever increasing to-do list in her head. _Laundry, clean the kitchen, pay taxes, send my CV in for that teaching job... No rest for the wicked._ Looking around at the towers of plates and cutlery that have somehow accumulated around her, Blake decides that she'd better start with the kitchen... while she can still see some of the countertops. As Grimm finishes off her breakfast and pads out of the kitchen with a satisfied purr, Blake stretches her arms up as she surveys the mess around her and considers where to start. _First.. music_. She smiles to herself and turns to a wall of her kitchen, which happens to be decked with three wooden shelves packed with various vinyl records. Flicking through the records for a moment, she stops on one with a particularly worn away sleeve, and gently pulls it off the shelf. The faded pink and white cover of Metric’s _Live It Out_ looks back up at her as she softly brushes away the light coating of dust that’s gathered on it. Sunlight peeks through a gap in the blinds (which act as the only barrier between a half dressed Blake and the entire street through the window), and feeling the sun’s rays dance gently across her face purring brings her the closest to contentment she’s been since waking up. Blake slides the record out of its sleeve and lifts the needle of her old record player, slipping the record onto the turntable and letting the needle rest as the first song starts playing. She smiles, sighs and stretches again. She loves Metric’s music, and she always has. She loves music in general, really. She was never particularly good at making it, but even as far back as middle school she could rarely be found without her mp3 player and shitty little headphones, and now she makes a point of putting her vintage record player to good use every morning. This record player was the very first thing she bought after leaving.. him, while she was still living at Ilia’s. Despite having had student loans to pay, and not even having her own home, Blake had seen this record player in the window of a vintage store one day and decided that she just needed it, and had never looked back. And now, it reminds her of her freedom, her autonomy and ability to make her own decisions. All while playing whatever music she wants. A win-win, if you ask her.

As the music plays, Blake finally decides to get on with her jobs for the day, and surveys the mess of a kitchen around her, pondering over exactly what would be the least hellish thing to clean up first. She makes her way over to the near-towering pile of dishes in the sink, and the smell makes her wish she hasn’t. _Oh, God, what is that?_ It could be anything she’s eaten in the last week, slowly rotting away under any number of other dishes in this small single-basin sink. Tugging at her dishwasher door and gingerly picking up the first dish, Blake feels some sense of satisfaction at having actually started a task. But the amount left to do soon outweighs that.

Blake doesn’t get far into loading her dishwasher, however, before she notices the familiar buzz of her phone vibrating on the kitchen counter. _That’s strange… Sun’s the only one who ever texts me, and there’s no way he’s awake before midday on a weekend. It could be mom or dad, but I spoke to them for an hour yesterday…_ Despite attempts to ignore the texts coming through on her phone until she’s finished the task at home, Blake can’t help her curiosity, and having sorted two glasses and a frying pan she steps away from the dishwasher and towards her phone. _Maybe its Ilia?_ She ponders, _or… no. It’s not him_. She knows it can’t be, seeing as she’s moved cities and changed her phone number, but the idea still sends a chill down her spine. Flipping her plain, black, caseless phone over, she’s surprised (and a little relieved) to see that it’s none of them. Instead, the name _Weiss Schnee_ has flashed up on her phone. _Huh. That’s… random._ Blake hasn’t seen Weiss in months, despite the Schnee Oil Company heiress being one of her oldest friends. She always seems to be working, or travelling, or doing weird rich people things that Blake doesn’t get. Blake looks down at her phone again, this time reading the messages on her screen.

_\- Weiss Schnee: hey you :)_

_\- Weiss Schnee: how are u girl??_

_\- Weiss Schnee: long time no see, lets catch up!_

_\- Weiss Schnee: meet me here at 7 tonight don’t be late ;)_

Within the final message is a link which seems to lead to a Google Maps location. Hm.. Blake clicks it gingerly, and is shown a bar on a small street that she’s heard of. It’s only a 3 minute cab journey from her apartment. Well, that was unexpected. _I really don’t have the argument skills needed to get out of a night out with a Schnee, so… guess I have plans tonight._ A familiar knot of anxiety forms itself in Blake’s stomach as she thinks about going out for the first time in so long, but the glimmer of excitement at seeing her friend soon overpowers that. _Well.. I’d better finish this up fast. I haven’t brushed my hair in weeks and who knows how long that’s gonna take me._

…………

Blake arrives at the bar at 7pm sharp, a surprising fact given her tendency for being late for anything and everything. It’s different this time, given Weiss is not only an old friend she hasn’t seen in over a year, but is also someone she actually _wants_ to hang out with. That being said, as Blake steps out of her Uber, awkwardly thanking the driver and making sure she doesn’t leave her purse in the car again, she’s a little nervous. Truth be told, she hasn’t hung out with anyone in weeks. In fact, she’s only really left the house for groceries and the occasional attempt to cat-walk Grimm since her mom came to visit last month. She spent longer than she’d care to admit on choosing her outfit this evening, eventually settling on a short, casual dress (black), a leather jacket she found in a vintage store (black), and her trusty scuffed combat boots (also black). She wouldn’t usually care so much about her appearance, but considering she’s never seen Weiss without at least one item of designer clothing at one time, it seemed appropriate. After painstakingly straightening her long black hair before leaving the house, Blake sighs in relief at the dry, weather in Vale this August evening. The lights and sounds of the bar stand out amongst the blackness of the otherwise-quiet street, and she can’t help but gulp a little at the prospect of being around so many people after so long... _Thanks anxiety!_

Luckily the anxiety doesn’t have much time to build up, as while stepping up onto the sidewalk of the bar Blake suddenly hears a sharp voice ring out above the general atmospheric sound.

“Blake!” She whips around to see a familiar slim, white-haired woman standing across the road from her.

“Hey, Weiss!” She waves as her friend crosses the street to join her under the cover of the bar. Before she has the chance to say anything else to Weiss, she’s pulled into a tight hug, nearly knocking her off her feet.

“It’s been too fucking long!” Weiss grins as she pulls back, her recognisable articulate voice instantly bringing a smile to Blake’s face. “How are you?"

“Oh, you know.. Alright..” Blake trails off, and it’s obvious that Weiss isn’t convinced.

“Alright? Really?” Weiss raises an eyebrow. “Well, how about you tell me all about how ‘alright’ you are over a drink? Its freezing out here..” She’s right, even in summer it can get pretty chilly once the sun’s set. Taking Blake swiftly by the hand, the young woman leads her inside, through the crowd of people laughing and drinking outside, to a bar which can only be described as… fancy.

“ _Wow.._ ” Blake breathes as the low sound of chatter, faint scent of cinnamon and extravagant gold details littered around the room fill her head. Deep red wallpaper covers the walls, which are dotted with elegant lamps emitting a soft glow. Directly ahead of Blake is a large, imposing marble bar, acting as a barrier between her and a wall of shelves holding the most different liquor bottles she’d ever seen in her life. It’s not a big place, and for this reason Blake can only see one woman working behind the bar, her light brown hair pulled back neatly, and a kind but exasperated smile on her face as she serves a customer in a long black coat. Blake barely has time to notice the massive chandelier hanging over her head before Weiss drags her over to the bar and sit down on one of two free barstools over in a secluded corner.

“I love this place.” She smiles, looking around at the (what Blake could only call ridiculously extravagant) room. “My mom used to take Winter and I here when we were kids.”

“What? When you were….?” She trails off. It’s probably better not to ask. “ Listen, uh, Weiss, I, uh, I don’t know if I can afford a place like this right now..” She rubs her hand across the back of her neck embarrassedly.

“Hey!” Weiss hits her gently. “Don’t even worry about it. My treat, silly.” Before Blake can interject, her friend is waving the bartender over and skimming through the menu.

“Hi,” The young bartender says, “What can I get you ladies?” She speaks with an accent that Blake can’t quite place.

“Hmm… I think I’ll have a… cosmopolitan. Make that double shot.” Weiss winks at Blake.

“Uh, same, please.” Blake panics.

“Sure thing!” The bartender smiles as she starts mixing up various drinks. “That’ll be 30, right here when you’re ready.” She points to a card reader on the bar. Blake gulps at the price, but Weiss doesn’t seem fazed.

“So,” She pays nonchalantly, “How are you, really? And don’t give me any of that ‘alright’ bullshit, we’ve been friends for too long for me to believe that.” She turns to Blake expectantly.

“Uh…” _Where to start?_ “Well, I basically had a bit of a.. breakdown, a few months ago. I.. quit my job.” She hadn’t told any of her friends that yet, not even Ilia or Sun.

“Oh…” Weiss frowns and places her hand gently on Blake’s arm. “I’m sorry. Honestly, they weren’t paying you nearly enough anyways… Are you okay now, though?”

“I’m… better than I was. Definitely.” Blake can say that with confidence, at least.

“That’s good.” Weiss smiles reassuringly. “So, uh, what are you doing now? It’s nearly September, do you think you’ll be up to working again by the start of the new school year?”

“I mean, I’m trying, but it seems like suddenly nobody even wants a highly qualified high school English teacher!” She sighs. “You’re basically.. the first person I’ve spoken to about this. After my mom and dad. I just, I feel like no one gets it. I haven’t seen _him_ in years, I have my own life now, my own friends, I _had_ a decent job, but I can’t help but just feel like total _shit_ sometimes.” Blake drops her head in her hands, feeling like maybe it’d be better if she just fell right through the bar into the ground.

“Oh, Blake… I’m sorry… But I wish you’d spoken to me, or anyone, earlier. I get it, you know I get it. You can’t help the way you feel, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But your friends are here for you. We can help you.”

The bartender brings two elegantly decorated drinks over, and Weiss thanks her quietly. She’s quiet for a minute, then continues. “You know.. If you’re still looking for a job… You know that school I work at now? Well, they were looking for a new English teacher. They took the job notice down in the end, because apparently no one good applied. But, I’m sure if I put in a good word, they’d have a look at your CV..”

“Really?” Blake sighs, looking up and meeting Weiss’ eyes for the first time in a few minutes. She’d really rather not be in this position of relying on her friends for a job, but it’s not exactly like that, she supposes. “I mean, sure.”

“Great!” Weiss smiles brightly. “I’ll email the headmaster tomorrow morning! It’s not a bad place, y’know! And the pay isn’t awful either.. And I’m sure you’ll get the job, I mean there can’t be many teachers at this place nearly as qualified as you, you _nerd_.”

And just like that, Blake is smiling again. Smiling, and laughing with her friend. “Says you!” She gasps in feigned shock. “The girl who likes to get drunk and blast some Vivaldi through her speakers because it’s- what was you called it again? -oh yeah, an _absolute banger._ ”

“Vivaldi was a genius!” Weiss replies indignantly. “I mean, have you even listened to the four seasons?”

“Uh… No?” Blake raises an eyebrow. “I mean, I don’t think so..”

“Oh, God,” Weiss sighs, “I am nowhere near drunk enough for this.” Waving to the bartender again, she calls out, “Hi, 4 vodka shots over here please!”

Well, there go Blake’s hopes for a quiet night.


	2. Back to School

After the bar closed, Blake had gone back to Weiss’s, drank some more, and… Blake doesn’t remember much after that, except for waking up in her own bed at a healthy 5pm the next day. _I am never drinking again_ , she decides the minute she sits up and her head starts to spin. 2 hours later and she’s sitting in the kitchen, gingerly eating a breakfast-slash-dinner of instant ramen, absolutely piled up with garlic powder to try and give it at least some flavor. After spending her first 45 waking minutes searching for her phone (which was somehow in the microwave with no battery left) and the rest attempting to ignore her monumental hangover, Blake’s about ready to go back to sleep again. Even putting on her favorite Duran Duran album only makes her feel worse, her head still throbbing and muscles still aching as she tries to bring herself to life a bit. _Thank God for drunk me remembering to feed Grimm last night, even if it was evidently double the usual amount, and out of a shoe rather than her bowl._ Blake watches as her cat winds her way around the legs of the single spare chair at the kitchen table. She makes a mental note to buy more cat food. And a new pair of loafers.

It’s not exactly impressive, Blake’s apartment, but it’s her home, and that’s more than some people have. The small kitchen in which she sits was originally painted white, but a few unfortunate cookery incidents and repeated sun exposure means that it’s now more of a patchy cream color. In one corner is a counter, complete with an inset sink, a microwave, and a couple cupboards. Then there’s the smaller than average fridge-freezer, an oven with one broken stove burner and in the middle of the room, a small wooden table complete with 2 wooden chairs. Blake’s grand dining table. It’s at this table she sits, and stares out of what might be Blake’s favorite part of this room – the large floor to ceiling window that takes up half of one of the walls, and is currently letting in the last of the soft evening sunlight, which gives the room a gentle amber glow. _Well. Time to face the aftermath of any embarrassing drunk texts I sent last night._ Blake pushes her almost empty bowl of ramen away, and stands up, making the very short journey down the hall to her bedroom, where her phone has been plugged in since she found it. Turning the phone on, she’s surprised to see an email. She assumes it must be from a mailing list or something, before she looks more closely at the preview on her lock screen.

Sender: principal@signalh.edu

Subject: Regarding recommendation for job application

Dear Dr Belladonna,

Having been recommended your consideration for the role of English teacher starting….

And then the preview cuts off. Blake is confused for a minute, but then her conversation with Weiss last night suddenly comes back to her, and she gasps. _Hang on… could this be a job offer?_ Her hand shakes as she goes to tap the notification. _No, I mean.. they don’t just give people jobs… I haven’t even applied properly.._ The email app opens, and the full email pops up on screen. Blake murmurs quietly to herself as she reads. _Dear Dr Belladonna, having been recommended your consideration for the role of English teacher starting this September I have taken the liberty of reading your CV myself and am highly impressed by your considerable achievements. I would like to invite you to interview for the full time position of…_ She trails off.

“ _YES!_ ” Blake pumps her fist in the air, startling a sleepy Grimm who’s been trying to lay down next to her. She continues reading, a warm feeling filling her up as she grins down at her phone. _The interview is on Monday 20th… Hang on.. That’s tomorrow. Shit, better do some laundry._ Knowing that this is probably going to be the only chance she’ll get to interview for a job before the semester starts in a couple weeks, Blake takes a deep breath. She’s got this. She knows she’s got this. After all, she’s the ideal candidate. And, as it seems, the only candidate. Straight away, she texts Weiss.

_Blake: they want me to interview!! thank u so much for mentioning me <3 I had no idea u were gonna do it so soon though?_

_Weiss: YES you’ve got this ;) and of course I did it straight away_

_Weiss: u totally deserve this job_

_Weiss: we need someone like u here!_

Blake slides her phone into her pocket, blushing slightly at the vote of confidence from her friend. Now, she wasn’t kidding about the laundry. If she wants anything to wear to this interview other than her swimming suit, old prom dress or the cat costume she wore once to a halloween party in college, she’d better get washing.

*****

The interview was surprisingly painless. The principal was a strange, silver-haired man who, despite appearing not much older than Blake herself, looked at her with the eyes of someone who’d been on Earth three times as long as her. He asked her a few questions about her previous employment, her skills, strengths and weaknesses, and they’d ended up having a fairly civilised conversation about Shakespeare. She got the call confirming her appointment to the school not even an hour after the interview ended.

Now, just over two weeks later, she sits, overheating, in her car at the front gates of Signal High, debating running away to Mistral and changing her name. _Come on, Blake. They’re teenagers, not monsters. Why are you getting so worked up about going into work?_ Although Blake came in yesterday afternoon for teacher training, and had even met a couple of her colleagues, there’s nothing quite as intimidating as your first day teaching at a new high school. And for good reason too – kids can be mean.

The hum of a white Rolls Royce across the parking lot informs her that Weiss has arrived, and as she watches the young, light haired woman step out of the spotless car, Blake finally considers getting out of her own beat up 1987 Mustang. Eyes noticeably follow Weiss as she spots Blake’s car and waves, her heels clicking audibly on the tarmac as she walks over. Her hair tied back into a tight ponytail, she’s wearing a white shirt tucked into a blue suede pencil skirt. Noticeably, her outfit is accented by the large sapphires that hang from her ears.

“Hi.” She leans down to speak to Blake through her open window. “Do you intend to get out of this car, or do you want your students to come to you instead?”

“I’m coming…” Blake sighs, and making sure she remembers the black satchel on the passenger seat, exits the car to stand with her friend in the September sun, beating down surprisingly strong for 8 in the morning. As per usual, she feels noticeably unimpressive-looking next to the slim, polished Weiss in her spotless designer clothes and slicked back ponytail. After about an hour in the mirror this morning, Blake had decided on a casual black pantsuit and some low heeled pumps. Something unnoticeable and unimpressive for the first day. After all, better to draw no attention than negative attention. She smooths down her hair for what feels like the hundredth time this morning, sure that by this point not a single curl could be out of place.

“Blake..” Weiss holds her hand gently. “Don’t worry. You’re going to be great.” Blake should know by now that all her oldest friends can tell exactly when she’s worrying, and exactly what to say when she is.

“Thanks.” Blake smiles nervously, feeling herself squeeze Weiss’s hand without even meaning to. “Now, uh, we better go. Don’t wanna be late on my first day!”

“Well, second day, actually.” Weiss corrects her as they walk towards the foreboding front steps. “You came in yesterday, remember?”

“Yeah, but it’s not the same! There weren’t any students yesterday..”

“I know, I know. But at least you know a couple of our colleagues now.”

Weiss is right. Blake is notoriously terrible with names, but she remembers meeting a beautiful, Amazonian, redheaded Geography teacher, and the unfortunately scrawny, but seemingly friendly History teacher that she was clearly head over heels for. They seemed nice enough, and as all the teachers had gathered in the hall, Weiss had pointed out a few more that she knew of. Blake remembers seeing the new chemistry teacher (a petite brunette with striking silver eyes), and a PE coach who appeared to spend the entire morning talking to a stoic-looking biology teacher.

As she approaches the front door, Blake takes a deep breath. Okay, I’m not gonna fuck this one up. Not this time.

They enter the school, and, yep.. it’s a school. There’s not much else to be said about the locker-lined hall in which Blake finds herself. An announcement that Blake can’t quite make out plays over a tinny speaker on the wall, drowned out by the sound of a hundred teenagers packed into one hallway. Trying her best to avoid the crowds of students gathered around waiting for class to start, Blake manoeuvres her way around backpacks and flung-open locker doors, all while making sure she keeps her eyes on Weiss. One of the downsides of sticking by Weiss’s side, Blake quickly realises, is that she’s never free from the turning heads and stares of gangly teenage boys. But such is the fate of a young, glamorous music teacher, she supposes. Weiss doesn’t seem fazed as she leads Blake down a quieter corridor, lined with dull blue doors. Each door has its own faded plaque signalling which room it is, Blake notices, as she passes an IT lab, a couple of math classrooms and a storage cupboard. Finally, Weiss stops at one particular door.

“Okay!” Weiss smiles as she goes to open the door, marked ‘staff room’. “I hope you’re ready to learn a lot of names, real quickly.” She pushes the door open to reveal an unextraordinary, small room, complete with a microwave, a coffee machine, and a smattering of sofas. The first thing Blake notices, however, is the noise. She’s never heard a louder staff room. The noise seems to be coming mainly from a sofa at the back, next to a wooden desk overlooking the only window in that area of the room. While each sofa seats a couple teachers, drinking coffee or sorting lesson plans, or maybe discussing what they got up to over the summer break, this particular sofa is currently home to four young teachers, all of whom Blake recognises from yesterday. The man that Blake can only remember as the blond history teacher, and the other one, the stoic biology teacher, sit, coffee in hand, both grinning, watching while the redheaded geography teacher and the PE coach… arm wrestle? Yep, Blake’s eyes are working. The two women are arm wrestling over the coffee table, sleeves rolled up and coffee mugs down.

“Oh, c’mon! Is that all ya got?” The lighter haired coach smirks, her teeth visibly gritting.

“Sorry,” The redhead cocks her head, “I thought I might be hurting you.” With a surprisingly graceful grunt, she forces her hand down, just about beating the other woman. Relaxing, she beams, once again reaching out her hand, this time to shake. As the coach begrudgingly shakes the geography teacher’s hand, she turns to notice Weiss and Blake in the doorway, and waves enthusiastically.

“Weiss! Hey!” The others follow her eyeline and wave, almost in sync. Weird.

“Hi, Nora.” Weiss smiles, walking over, waving to a couple other teachers on her way. “Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren.” She smiles as she greets each of the other teachers in turn. Thank God she mentioned their names, otherwise Blake would never have remembered.

“Blake!” The redhead, Pyrrha, smiles warmly. “Hello.”

“Hi.” Blake waves awkwardly, taking a couple of steps towards the sofa on which the four, and now Weiss, sit.

“Oh, hey!” The blond, Jaune, gestures for Blake to come sit in a gap between him and Pyrrha. “Have you met Ren and Nora?”

“Uh, no, not yet.” Blake sits, still feeling a little out of place.

“Oh, well, this is Ren.” The dark haired biology teacher that Weiss had pointed out yesterday, who now sits on the other end of the sofa, nods in acknowledgement. “And, uh, well, you saw Nora on your way in, I guess.” Jaune gestures to the PE coach who Weiss had pointed out yesterday.

“Hi!” She smiles widely. “I’m Nora. I teach PE, which basically means I do all the shit no one else wants to do, and I also occasionally play dodgeball with 14 year olds.”

“Nice to meet you..” Blake says to the pair, “I’m Blake, I’m joining the English department.”

“Oh, damn.. Finally?” Nora raises an eyebrow. “They’ve been looking for someone for yoinks.”

“Where did you say you were from?” Pyrrha asks.

“Oh, uh, well, I’m originally from this tiny town, Menagerie, on the east coast, and then I went to Shade University, in Vacuo, and now I live here in Vale. Of course.” She laughs awkwardly.

“Who’ve you met so far?” Jaune asks, “except for us, of course.”

“Well, I already knew Weiss.” Weiss smiles from across the sofa. “But, except for her, and you guys.. No one, really.”

“Oh, damn.” Jaune nods, “It’s hard being new, huh?”

“A little..” There’s that awkward laugh again.

“Well, once everyone gets here you’ll know tons of people! Being the only ones in this place between the ages of 18 and 30 there’s a little group of us that get on pretty well.”

“Wait until Yang gets here.” Nora grins. “She’s super nice, you’ll love her. Oh, and I’ve heard the new chemistry teacher is her sister! See, at least you’re not the only new teacher here.”

“Hey, speak of the devil.” Weiss pipes up. “She just texted me. Yang and her sister just arrived at school.”

“I can’t believe this is the first time I’m gonna see her since July!” Nora folds her arms. “We were all gonna get dinner, weren’t we? Guys, we suck at making plans.”

“I can agree with you there.” Pyrrha nods. “And she didn’t come in yesterday, did she?”

The others nod.

“Her sister did, though.” Weiss raises an eyebrow. “I saw her as we came in yesterday morning. “Did any of you guys speak to her?”

This time they all shake their heads, as Ren speaks for the first time since Blake met him. “Her name is Ruby, apparently.”

“Oohh,” Nora turns to him.. “Ruby Xiao Long.. What a name!”

“No,” Now Ren raises an eyebrow, “Ruby Rose.”

“How the hell do you know that?”

“I.. I read the staff newsletter… Don’t tell me I’m the only one?”

The blank stares coming from the others alert him to the fact that he probably is.

“I didn’t even know we had a newsletter..” A confused expression creeps across Jaune’s face.

“Don’t you get sent it?” Pyrrha opens up her phone to show Jaune, but is suddenly interrupted by the door swinging open for the first time since Weiss and Blake walked in.

The first thing Blake notices is a flash of golden blonde in the corner of her eye, and a cheery voice saying “Hi all!’.

She looks up, and no amount of time could have prepared her for what she sees. Standing in the doorway, in a tattered blazer complete with leather elbow patches, and a very basic pair of brown trousers (which somehow manage to hug her long legs to perfection) is the most beautiful woman Blake has ever seen. And it seems her name is Yang Xiao Long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading!! kudos or constructive criticism always welcome <3 n pls follow me on tumblr @paulacrackhead


	3. Yang and Ruby

Blake feels a familiar scarlet blush filling up her cheeks as the tall blonde turns to meet her eyes.

“Hey!” Her lilac eyes seem to light up in the same way that a golden retriever’s would, but the sly smirk that creeps across her face as her eyes scan Blake up and down gives off a very much less-than-wholesome vibe. “You’re new.” She holds out her hand, her left one, strangely, and Blake is so caught up in the clearly defined muscles of her forearm and the veins that run up from her fingers that she almost forgets to shake it. “I’m Yang Xiao Long,” the blonde smiles, “I teach physics! Sorry, it’s _really_ hard to pretend to be enthusiastic about that..” She laughs, and as they shake hands Blake can’t help but notice her firm grip, which seems to linger just a second longer than Blake was expecting.

_Jesus, Belladonna, get a grip.. Can ya stop being so damn horny for one minute?_ Blake manages to stutter out a reply. “Uh, I’m Blake Belladonna. I’m the new English teacher.”

“Oh, really? Damn, I thought they’d never find a replacement..”

“Yeah, that’s what Nora said..” Blake is still a little confused, and suddenly very aware that the others are wrapped up in their own conversation again, leaving her and Yang alone in their own little corner. Her fading blush suddenly creeps back again.

“So, Blake Belladonna… What brings you here?” Yang folds her arms, raising a thick eyebrow. “I mean, you must know as well as me, this school doesn’t exactly have a shining reputation.”

“Honestly, I’ll take any work I can get right now.”

“I hear ya. I’ve been here 4 years, and I don’t plan on leaving any time soon. Suits me just fine. I live close, decent pay, so far I’ve only lost one arm breaking up cafeteria fights.” Yang lifts up a… metal forearm? She wiggles the mechanical fingers, and laughs as Blake’s eyes grow wide. How had she not noticed that before? “I’m kidding! This injury has nothing to do with the school, cross my heart.”

Blake laughs awkwardly, not sure what to say. She doesn’t have a whole lot of experience with amputee etiquette, if she’s being honest. “So, uh, where do you live? I live close too, we might live near each other.”

“I live down on South. It’s about 7 minutes on my motorbike, 10 if you drive like my dad and 4 if you drive like my sister.” Blake can’t help but laugh. “Yep, and _that_ is why my sister is not allowed to drive anymore. Whereabouts are you?” Yang seems _genuinely_ interested in Blake’s life. It’s new.

“George street.” Blake replies, “In one of those really shitty apartment buildings over by the mall.”

“Yeah, I know the ones,” Yang grins. “You live with anyone? Boyfriend or anything? Ferret? Goldfish?”

Blake laughs again, but her heart can’t help but flutter at the second question. _Is she asking if I’m seeing anyone? Is she interested? Oh, shut up, Blake, you dolt_. She tells herself. “Just my cat. I have to feed her twice a day and throw out her shit but she’s still surprisingly the least annoying roommate I’ve had.”

“Hey, try being in your twenties and still living with your dad and your little sister. They’re not bad, but when my dad makes me look through all his tinder matches for the third time in a week, I _definitely_ start to wish I lived with a cat instead. I mean, the other day I had to explain to him what MILF stood for…”

“Oh my _God_.”

“I _know!”_

Blake can’t help but burst out laughing, and Yang joins her soon after. Blake likes this girl, she’s decided. And not just because she’s tall and muscular and _beautiful_.. there’s something kind in her eyes, a spark that Blake noticed when she first walked in the room. But now’s not the time to get profound about her new co-worker – the bell just rang, meaning it’s time for Blake to go and face her first class of 35 kids who do _not_ want to be there. _Great_.

_“Fuck!_ Is it that time already?” Nora jumps up, the loud expletive earning her a couple of disapproving looks from the older teachers in the room.

“Right,” Yang sighs, “it was lovely to meet you, Blake Belladonna. Good luck. The students really aren’t that bad once you get used to ‘em.” Grabbing her leather satchel, she takes Ren by the shoulders. “To the science block!”

He sighs unenthusiastically, and stands without a word.

“Oh, and Weiss,” Yang turns back as she and Ren leave the room, “Don’t let Blake get lost on her first day.”

“I would never!” Weiss huffs indignantly. “You ready, Blake? I’m not teaching now, so I can show you to your classroom.”

“Oh, uh, sure. Do I not need to, I don’t know, report to the principal or anything? Seeing as I’m new.” Blake eyes the coffee machine on the table with longing.

“Oh, no. Ozpin trusts everyone to sort of get on with it. He knows I’ve got my eye on you!”

“Oh, alright. Great.. Well, I guess it’s time.” Blake reluctantly picks up her black tote from where she left it on the sofa.

“You just have to start, Blake. That’s the first step. New jobs are scary, I know, but on the plus side, as of now you’ve already met _all_ your cool co-workers.” Weiss smiles.

“Seems like you’re right.” Blake manages a weak smile back despite her nerves. “Okay, lead the way.”

********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

First period with the seniors was surprisingly painless. So was the freshman class second period, and the juniors that Blake had just before lunch. The freshmen were a little rowdy, as they always are, but no one has seemed particularly opposed to studying Romeo and Juliet, or Of Mice and Men, or even Great Expectations. All in all, three uneventful lessons. Blake knew that she could rely on her tried-and-true intimidation tactic of wearing all black on the first day. Perhaps unfortunately for Blake, the lack of excitement in her lessons had given her plenty of time to think about that blonde physics teacher with the leather satchel and metal arm who had intrigued her so much even from their first conversation. As the bell rings, echoing around her head jarringly, and students start pouring out of the classroom, a couple of shouts coming from the packed hallway, Blake lets out a deep sigh. The door gently swings closed, and she’s started absent-mindedly organising whiteboard markers on her desk when a sharp rap comes from the door, making Blake jump. She hates that sounds like this startle her.

“Uh, come on in!” She calls out, and almost immediately the door swings open to reveal an angry, dishevelled looking Weiss. She looks far from the put-together, pristine debutante that Blake watched cross the parking lot earlier this morning – from what Blake can see on the other side of the room, her platinum hair has fallen into her face, her blazer hangs off of her shoulder, and her dress looks…singed? Weiss exhales aggressively through her nose, her heels clacking as she storms across the empty classroom without saying a word.

“You alright?” Blake raises an eyebrow, dropping the eraser she had picked up to put back in its place.

“No.” Weiss scowls, pulling a chair out of a front row desk and slumping into it.

“What happened to you?”

“I met Yang’s sister.” She starts brushing her dress down roughly, crossing her legs and exhaling again.

“What, the chemistry teacher?”

“If she’s even _qualified_ to teach chemistry! Look what she did to me!” Weiss gestures down to the black marks on her otherwise white dress, before once again meeting Blake’s eyes, her stare more piercing than ever. “I mean, Ozpin must be hiring just _anybody_ , really. She looks like she’s barely out of college.”

Blake walks over and takes a seat on the desk at which her friend sits. “And, uh, what exactly _did_ she do to you?”

“Well, I was just walking through the labs, looking for Yang-“ Blake’s ears can’t help but prick up at the sound of that name. “And she wasn’t in the physics lab, so I thought she must be somewhere else in the building, so, _foolish as I am,_ I decided to check the chemistry lab. And, as I walk in, this _imbecile_ , breaking god knows how many safety regulations, is mixing together some ridiculous concoction _right_ in front of the door, and next thing I know, I’m on fucking fire! I could sue, you know?”

“Oh..” Blake doesn’t really know what to say. “Well, at least you’re not on fire anymore. How did you get it out?”

Before Weiss can reply, there’s another noise at the door. Not a knock, though, this time, but simply a crash as the door bursts open to reveal a flash of red and black.. a person. At first Blake think it’s a student, but the purple lanyard around the girl’s neck, the same as the one that Blake had been given yesterday, signifies that this is not a student, but a staff member.

The girl almost screeches to a halt a few meters into the room, allowing Blake to finally get a good look at her. A petite young woman with a shock of brunette hair (complete with what looks like deep red dip dye), and the most piercing silver eyes that Blake has ever seen. Straight away, Weiss jumps out of her seat, her mouth open as if ready to go off on another rant, but she’s soon cut off by the other girl.

“I’m sorry!!” Shel stands awkwardly, clutching her hands together. “I’m, so, so, sorry, Miss Schnee, uh, Weiss, uh ma’am!”

“Do you have any idea how much this dress cost?” Weiss folds her arms, and the pieces suddenly fall into place as Blake realises this girl, standing shell-shocked in her classroom, must be the new chemistry teacher. Yang’s sister.

“I really am sorry, I’ll save up, I’ll pay you back! Honestly…”

“Good luck.. This is a one of a kind, did you know that?”

“Oh, God, really?”

Weiss nods, her nose upturned in that way that Blake can’t help but get slightly annoyed by sometimes. The girl, Ruby, they said her name was, starts to look annoyed as well.

Ruby stands with her head cocked for a minute. “One of a kind, huh? Well.. I might not be able to buy you a new one, but can I get a closer look at that fabric?”

Weiss looks confused, but nods. Ruby takes a few steps forwards, until she’s barely an inch away from Weiss. She looks intently at the dress, even reaching a slender hand out to touch it before Weiss promptly slaps her hand away. “You seen enough?” She raises an eyebrow.

Ruby nods, and promptly turns on her heel, marching out of the classroom.

“That was weird.” Blake looks over at Weiss once Ruby has left the room.

“Tell me about it…” Weiss pulls her blazer back around her shoulders tightly. “What the hell was that about?”

“No idea.” Blake wouldn’t want to admit it to an angry Weiss, but Ruby seems kinds cool. She almost reminds Blake of herself when she was younger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading !! this is short one i know but im working on some bumbleby fake dating for valentines hehe so hopefully u can forgive me  
> as always kudos and constructive criticism/any comments welcome !! <3


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